So I finally found this page and it has tons of useful info...thanks.http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-Detailing-Guide/
I did have one question so far, why the different recommendations for sealant depending on the application? Is the BFWD, not a good idea if applying by hand? I've got lots if reading to do and I'm sure I'll be back with more questions.

I have a 2006 e90 with black Dakota leather. It is my daily driver and have alot of oil build up on the seat. My rear seats are extremely dry and seem to throw off a slight white. How can I take care of this ?

Thank you for the inquiry I'd be happy to help! I would highly recommend the Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil followed by the Leatherique Prestine Clean. This combo should help remove any contaminants make the seats feel soft again. If you want some added UV protection the 303 Aerospace Protectant would be a great choice. Just a very light coating should help prevent UV fading. If you have any questions just keep me posted.

This is a whitish paint scuff/scratch on plastic gloss black grille. superficial. caused by some part of a bicycle landing on my car.

Any detailed image products for this issue?

It's hard to say whether that went through the coating or if it's some possible paint transfer from the bike. If it looks like the paint from the bike is on your grill then you may be able to remove with a clay bar and polish. A clay bar will help deep clean the surface and possibly remove some paint transfer. If the marks are through the paint and clear coat then unfortunately it's not going to buff out. You could try polishing with the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 and Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105 but I'm not too optimistic. The plastic parts like this are usually thinner and more fragile so I'm guessing the help of a body shop may be necessary if you want it perfect again. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to help.

So I finally found this page and it has tons of useful info...thanks.http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-Detailing-Guide/
I did have one question so far, why the different recommendations for sealant depending on the application? Is the BFWD, not a good idea if applying by hand? I've got lots if reading to do and I'm sure I'll be back with more questions.

The BFWD will be fine to use by hand or with a buffer the application makes no difference. We recommend different products just to highlight the different options, all of those sealants can be applied either way. Sorry for any confusion and let me know if you have any other questions.

I'm happy to hear the detailing guide has been so helpful. If you have not already checked it our please be sure to also read our Ask a Pro Blog. Top professional detailers from around the country share their detailing knowledge there!

Greg, thanks for the info. I see now, what you're talking about. There are several different recommendations and today it seems as though BFWD is under each one which is what I think I'll go with. After seeing one pro detailers review with pics of the silver M3, it was a done deal.
Another question, I know you guys recommend the leatherique, but is that a protectant too or us it just a cleaner/rejuvenator?
Thanks again.

Greg, thanks for the info. I see now, what you're talking about. There are several different recommendations and today it seems as though BFWD is under each one which is what I think I'll go with. After seeing one pro detailers review with pics of the silver M3, it was a done deal.
Another question, I know you guys recommend the leatherique, but is that a protectant too or us it just a cleaner/rejuvenator?
Thanks again.

The Leatherique products don't directly protect the leather, however by conditioning the leather it's less prone to drying and cracking. If you want UV protection try a very fine layer of protection with the 303 Aerospace Protectant. It's what I use on seats, doors, dashboard, console, trim, engine bay, etc. for top notch UV protection and a nice rich appearance. Hope this info helps!

It's hard to say whether that went through the coating or if it's some possible paint transfer from the bike. If it looks like the paint from the bike is on your grill then you may be able to remove with a clay bar and polish. A clay bar will help deep clean the surface and possibly remove some paint transfer. If the marks are through the paint and clear coat then unfortunately it's not going to buff out. You could try polishing with the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 and Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105 but I'm not too optimistic. The plastic parts like this are usually thinner and more fragile so I'm guessing the help of a body shop may be necessary if you want it perfect again. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to help.

Greg, thanks for all the info and sorry to be such a PITA. My next issue is figuring out which of the millions of polishes would be suitable for my needs. I've read tons of reviews and tried to narrow some down but I was hoping to get some input from you. I know color doesn't matter much other than the hardness of the clear, but mine is silver and my wife's RDX is a dark grey. The paint is in pretty good condition with both, maybe a medium depth scratch here and there. I've always been a little nervous about cutting in to much. So my goals are minor paint correction at a reasonable price that will not take forever to apply and remove. I plan to borrow a PC from another forum member. I was leaning towards the SSR 2.5 and then SSR 1 based a on cost, but I don't want to sacrifice results. Sorry for the long post again, I typically over think things like this.

Greg, thanks for all the info and sorry to be such a PITA. My next issue is figuring out which of the millions of polishes would be suitable for my needs. I've read tons of reviews and tried to narrow some down but I was hoping to get some input from you. I know color doesn't matter much other than the hardness of the clear, but mine is silver and my wife's RDX is a dark grey. The paint is in pretty good condition with both, maybe a medium depth scratch here and there. I've always been a little nervous about cutting in to much. So my goals are minor paint correction at a reasonable price that will not take forever to apply and remove. I plan to borrow a PC from another forum member. I was leaning towards the SSR 2.5 and then SSR 1 based a on cost, but I don't want to sacrifice results. Sorry for the long post again, I typically over think things like this.

For the best value in a two step process I think the hands down best choice would be the Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 and Meguiar's Ultra-Cut Compound M105. You only need about 2 - 4 ounces to do an SUV so the 8oz bottle should be more than enough to do two vehicles and three to four is certainly possible. I would use two orange pads for the M105 and two white pads with the M205. This will help safely remove swirls, oxidation, ultra fine scratches, etc. and restore a deep shine.

Afterward Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection is an amazing sealant that looks top notch and protects for months. If you want an extremely good value check out the Rejex Sealant. Both can be applied with one blue pad or by hand. This should help you get the paint looking top notch at a great value. Don't forget to save 10% off with the coupon code e90post.

Thanks Greg, I just ordered the 105, 205 and BFWD from your site. I just found out what size backing plates the guy who is letting me borrow his PC has, so I'll order some pads and maybe the BFWD wax. I'm pretty stoked to give this a shot and really hope I like the PC so I can go ahead and buy one. Just didn't want to spend the money on it if I wasn't sure. Thanks again for all the help.

Damn, I thought of another question. Should I take any special pre-cautions with my trunk and rear bumper since it has been repainted? I didn't think anything of it until I was readying another post where they mentioned measuring the thickness of paint in areas that have been resparayed? The trunk was actually replaced and the rear bumper was just blended. Hopefully my stuff will be in next week so I can get to work, can't wait.

Thanks Greg, I just ordered the 105, 205 and BFWD from your site. I just found out what size backing plates the guy who is letting me borrow his PC has, so I'll order some pads and maybe the BFWD wax. I'm pretty stoked to give this a shot and really hope I like the PC so I can go ahead and buy one. Just didn't want to spend the money on it if I wasn't sure. Thanks again for all the help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by snowman81

Damn, I thought of another question. Should I take any special pre-cautions with my trunk and rear bumper since it has been repainted? I didn't think anything of it until I was readying another post where they mentioned measuring the thickness of paint in areas that have been resparayed? The trunk was actually replaced and the rear bumper was just blended. Hopefully my stuff will be in next week so I can get to work, can't wait.

Thank you for the purchase! I think testing out your friends buffer should be a great indicator of whether or not you want to pick one up. Glad to hear you know what pads to get, remember I'd get at least two of each pad for the polishes and at least one pad for the sealant.

If the vehicle was repainted within the last four months you may want to contact the shop to be safe. In general with fresh paint you don't want to seal or wax it, but you can polish it after a few days. The only other difference would be that it may not react exactly the same when polishing. It should be relatively similar but just be aware it could be slightly different, but stick with the same products and routine for sure. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to help.

I have a few questions and any help would be appreciated! I picked up the Porter Cable 7424xp recently and would like some help picking out polish/sealant/etc.

This will be for a Barrique Red Metallic '07 335i...it looks great from most angles, but up close you can definitely tell it went through many a dealership carwash w/ the previous owner

Trunk lid

Hood

As you can see, the hood took most of the abuse, but luckily the rest of the car only has minor swirls and thankfully even the worst looking ones aren't deep enough to catch your fingernail. Every imperfection on the car looks much worse now given that it has a fresh coat of Meguiar's NXT though (wax filled into all the swirls) too.

Anyway, after reading a ton of reviews, most all of the Menzerna stuff looks nice. The Menzerna Micro Polish SF 4500 (PO85RD) looks good as a 2nd or 3rd step polish, but I'm not sure how aggressive I should start given the current condition of the paint and my color paint in general: PO83? PO91E? Or maybe M105/M205 from Meguiars?

Also, which is a better LSP: Black Fire Wet Diamond or Menzerna Power Lock?

I plan on detailing my car, but have no choice but to do it by hand and wanted to ask what is a good polish to use for hand applications? I recently picked up a polishing Pal and will eventually get the appropiate pads once I know the path to take.

I plan / am doing Optimum No Rinse 2 bucket method car washes every 2-3 weeks, for no particular reason, just want it clean. Is it overkill to use optimum spray wax after each wash? How frequent should I use the optimum spray wax. Thanks

I have a few questions and any help would be appreciated! I picked up the Porter Cable 7424xp recently and would like some help picking out polish/sealant/etc.

This will be for a Barrique Red Metallic '07 335i...it looks great from most angles, but up close you can definitely tell it went through many a dealership carwash w/ the previous owner

As you can see, the hood took most of the abuse, but luckily the rest of the car only has minor swirls and thankfully even the worst looking ones aren't deep enough to catch your fingernail. Every imperfection on the car looks much worse now given that it has a fresh coat of Meguiar's NXT though (wax filled into all the swirls) too.

Anyway, after reading a ton of reviews, most all of the Menzerna stuff looks nice. The Menzerna Micro Polish SF 4500 (PO85RD) looks good as a 2nd or 3rd step polish, but I'm not sure how aggressive I should start given the current condition of the paint and my color paint in general: PO83? PO91E? Or maybe M105/M205 from Meguiars?

Also, which is a better LSP: Black Fire Wet Diamond or Menzerna Power Lock?

Thanks again!

I would probably suggest a two step polishing process with either combination:

M105/orange
M205/white

OR

Menzerna SI1500/orange
Menzerna SF4000/white

These two steps are usually enough to remove the majority of the imperfections and bring back a deep gloss. If you want a little extra optical clarity you can follow up with the SF4500 and a blue pad, but it's almost never necessary.

Afterwards protect with either the BFWD or the Menzerna Power Lock as you mentioned with a clean blue pad. Both are exceptional but I give a slight edge to the BFWD for some extra gloss. You can't go wrong either way and you'll love them both. Upon completion the paint should look a lot better and be well protected for months to come!

I plan on detailing my car, but have no choice but to do it by hand and wanted to ask what is a good polish to use for hand applications? I recently picked up a polishing Pal and will eventually get the appropiate pads once I know the path to take.

I'm not looking for perfection by no means by hand polishing my car.

Thanks!!!

I'd pick up a 4" white pad with the polishing pal and the Meguiar's M205. It's a cost effective option that works very well. Afterward you can apply a sealant or wax with a blue pad. I really love the Blackfire Wet Diamond for it's durable protection and a great shine. Don't forget to pick up about 3x - 5x All Purpose Microfiber Towels to buff off the excess product.

I plan / am doing Optimum No Rinse 2 bucket method car washes every 2-3 weeks, for no particular reason, just want it clean. Is it overkill to use optimum spray wax after each wash? How frequent should I use the optimum spray wax. Thanks

Thank you for the business it's sincerely appreciated. I don't think it's overkill to use it that much. If you enjoy the shine then do it as much as you'd like I don't see any harm in that.

If you have protection already on the surface like a good sealant or wax it's not essential to use a spray wax and you can do it as often as you'd like or as little as you would like. If you don't have any protection there I would try to use the spray on protection at least every two weeks or so to ensure it's protected.